ChatGPT is in the midst of an intriguing journey. From phones and smartwatches to Mercedes’ luxurious cars, OpenAI’s chatty creation is finding new integration avenues rapidly, and the latest one is electric bikes. As ludicrous as that sounds, a company named Urtopia has done just that. At the EuroBike 2023 convention, Urtopia launched a new e-bike featuring a digital voice interface that puts ChatGPT at the rider’s disposal.
Touted as the “world’s first ChatGPT integrated E-bike,” Utopia has integrated the AI chatbot with its own voice recognition system, allowing users to speak their queries and get whatever answers they want. Calling it “the bicycle with a mind,” Urtopia’s offering also comes with a standard set of e-bike features like built-in GPS, an anti-theft lock system, and built-in ride safety.
On top of it, there is deep integration with Apple’s fitness ecosystem of devices and services, in addition to Strava support. For example, Urtopia’s ChatGPT-fied bike can pull heart rate data from an Apple Watch and accordingly tweak the power compensation depending on a person’s activity preference.
Cycling away from gimmicky marketing
Urtopia doesn’t say how much its ChatGPT-powered e-bike is going to cost and when it is coming to the market. We don’t even get a full look at its design, but the model appears to have been inspired by the Carbon 1 e-bike that Urtopia currently sells for approximately $3,600 in four colors. In a short teaser released on YouTube, a person can be heard asking the AI bland questions like the benefits of cycling; ChatGPT’s response is read out in a boring machine voice.
But we can think of a few benefits of ChatGPT for cyclists. For example, the rider could feed the bike specs and body stats and ask ChatGPT to create a custom cycling workout program for them. The assistant could also assist with common DIY bike repairs, create a nutrition plan for cycling enthusiasts, make a touring plan with multiple pitstops, offer injury recovery advice, and inform the rider about safety, weather, and the local geography.
The display unit with a speaker and mic system on the ChatGPT-ready bike appears to have been inspired by Urtopia’s new Fusion e-bike. This one has been designed in collaboration with former Apple designer Hartmut Esslinger, who is credited with creating the company’s signature “snow white design language” seen on products like the award-winning Apple IIc computer.
